The present invention is related to computer software and more specifically to computer software for providing and scoring puzzles provided using the Internet.
Much of the content on the Internet is not effective. Entire web pages are not visited often enough to create loyalty. Banner or button ads are displayed on web pages, but only noticed by a small fraction of users who view the web pages. Even fewer users click through the advertisements to obtain additional information or view the site each banner or button is advertising.
Content may be ineffective for a variety of reasons. Web pages may not be sufficiently entertaining to a user to cause the user to request them. Banner or button advertisements may not draw the user""s attention without techniques such as flashing, which are offensive to users and distracting to users of the web page on which the banner or button is displayed. Even if an advertisement is noticed, because the advertisement is so small, the text that fits in the advertisement may not provide sufficient motivation to click through the advertisement to the web site the advertisement is promoting, even though the user would benefit from clicking through the advertisement. Without the click through, a user may not ever remember the site the advertisement is promoting.
What is needed is a system and method that can draw a user to a website, notice a banner advertisement and promote click throughs of a banner advertisement.
A system and method displays a puzzle, for example, on a website, near a link or banner advertisement or as part of an advertisement. The puzzle may consist of portions, and successive portions are added to a display or otherwise provided over a period of time and the user is allowed to guess the subject of the puzzle during or after the time the portions are being added to the display or otherwise provided. Points are awarded for correct guesses according to the speed of the guess: the points awarded for a correct guess decrease as more portions of the puzzle are provided. The point value of solving the puzzle is enhanced if the user clicks through an advertisement on the web page. A user may redeem for prizes or discounts the points accumulated by solving the puzzle and other puzzles.
Users will be drawn to a website that allows the user to solve puzzles, so new users will see the site and former users will return to play the game. If the game is near or is part of a banner, link or button advertisement, users are more likely to view the advertisement. Because users can receive rewards for clicking though the link or advertisement, users are more likely to click through the link or advertisement. In this manner, the web page, link or advertisement is made more effective.
FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of a conventional computer system.
FIG. 2A is a block schematic diagram of a system for providing and scoring a puzzle according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2B is a block schematic diagram of a system for providing and scoring a game according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3A is an illustration of a display of a puzzle near a banner advertisement for which the user has correctly guessed the puzzle according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3B is an illustration of a display of a puzzle in process according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing and scoring a puzzle according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of enhancing a score of a puzzle due to a user""s click through of an Internet advertisement or link according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatically redeeming points accumulated by solving one or more puzzles over the Internet according to one embodiment of the present invention.